MxMIndia

Tag: anil thakraney

  • Now only if Narendra Modi adds one more to S (for Sorry) to his 3S mantra, he will definitely be PM in 2014, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: CEO Modi

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In an earlier post, I have matched Brand Rahul with Brand Modi. The television media has only got into the act now, so this should tell you the internet is the medium of the future. But Modi’s speech at the Delhi college gave us an insight into why the corporate honchos adore this man. By the way, I was watching the speech live, and out of curiosity, surfed all the news channels. And found that every single one was fixated on Modi, except for DD News, which was dutifully recycling an ancient Manmohan Singh speech. Sigh! Guess some things never change.

     

    Anyway, on to Motabhai’s talk show. This wasn’t a political neta speaking. Modi’s speech was a full-on sales pitch by a businessman. It had all the elements in place: Furious marketing of the state of Gujarat, which Modi treats as his personal portfolio. A clear vision for future growth. A tangible business mantra: Speed, Scale, Skill. A positive outlook to the future. And an extremely competitive pitch… he missed no opportunity to tell you why Gujarat (his brand) prospers, while the Rest of India (the brand he wishes to own) has lagged behind. It’s well known that Modi goes out of his way to welcome the Tatas and the Ambanis to his state, and therefore the industrialists never fail to pay him compliments. But after listening to him, I realized that Modi is more a dhandhewala than a neta, which explains his corporate fan following more accurately.

     

    And that’s a good thing for this nation. We desperately need a leader who can think big, and who has the ability to get work done. A man who operates likes a CEO. Look at the mess that’s happening in Mumbai in terms of infrastructure, and you will understand why Modi is blue chip stock. The Scale is missing, Mumbai is still planning flyovers, when the metro rail should have covered the entire city decades ago. The Speed is missing, projects go on for years and years. And sadly, even the Skill is missing, people keep dying every other day under falling debris. And potholes magically appear on freshly minted roads.

     

    In short, Officer Modi’s time has come. Now only if he adds one more ‘S’ to his 3S mantra, he’d definitely be PM in 2014. And that ‘S’ is a big ‘Sorry’. To the Indian Muslims.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Brilliant! There was a power cut at the Super Bowl for a few minutes. As most fans (and brand managers) were left groping in the dark, the Oreo guys swung into action. And quickly came up with this winner. Smart work. This sort of on-the-feet thinking you have to admire.

     

     

  • You cannot not like this commercial. However, there's a technical problem: The effects are a bit tacky, the babies' actions don't look real

    Debrief: Kit Kat: Bachchas rock it

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Nestle Kit Kat has extended its ‘Take a break’ idea. While earlier they made birds and squirrels dance, this time little babies perform a rock concert. Naturally, it makes the commercial look cute… dancing, jiving babies always do that.

     

    In the ad, our chap, who looks like a trainee lab technician, takes a break from training, and finds himself outside what looks like a crèche. As he starts consuming his Kit Kat, the babies get performing for him, with all the accompanying moves and shakes of a rock concert. The man is zapped, but as soon as the choc is finished, the babies return to their usual selves.

     

    You cannot not like this commercial simply because you cannot not like crooning babies. So it’s a very safe idea, and it should work for Kit Kat in terms of the brand recall. Also, dancing babies are a rage on the internet videos, so am pretty sure the brand manager would be hoping to exploit that medium as well. All in all, here’s a commercial that can’t go wrong.

     

    However, there’s a technical problem: Obviously, working only with live action footage wouldn’t have been possible in this case… getting babies to perform as a rock band must have been a nightmare. Therefore, some amount of animation becomes inevitable. Sadly, that’s where the commercial falters. The effects are a bit tacky, the babies’ actions don’t look real at all. This takes away from the overall impact. The Kit Kat creative team should not have allowed this to happen, they ought to have asked for more monies, if that was the problem.

     

    Aside from that, it’s an enjoyable ad. And hopefully these rockers aren’t Kashmiri babies, else Kit Kat can expect a fatwa announcement. 🙂

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvEr0fqYWs0[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Cute idea. Needed some finesse.

     

  • Before these unfortunate young ladies abort their promising gig, an MTV or a Radio One should show some enterprise. Go ahead and adopt the band, people. If for nothing else, do it for the love of music, and for the love of Young India

    Anil Thakraney: Someone please adopt the Kashmiri band!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    We all know what’s happened with most of the desi television music channels. They now do everything but play the frickin music. Completely juvenile reality shows are now integral to their programming mix. The FM radio stations at least play the songs (thank heavens for small mercies!), but all the musical fun gets demolished due to the constant chatter from the jocks, and from the (usually) boring guests they invite to their studios.

     

    Here’s a wonderful opportunity for one of these buggers to change things, to get the focus back on music, and to build their own brand. Whichever is the smartest one of the lot shall waste no time in adopting the all-girl rock band from Kashmir, the band that’s planning to shut shop following the rape and death threats from some lunatic locals. It’s gotten so bad for these girls that even J&K’s chief minister hesitates to openly denounce the threat senders. Guess he’s worried about ‘hurting’ religious sentiments, because Kashmir’s Grand Mufti has declared the girls’ band as ‘Un-Islamic’.

     

    Before these unfortunate young ladies abort their promising gig, an MTV or a Radio One should show some enterprise. The channel/station could relocate the girls to Mumbai or Delhi, provide them with free accommodation, take care of their education, and most importantly, finance and support their musical journey. Result: The brand will get to own this band, and its success will benefit the TV or the radio station enormously. And not to forget all the goodwill that will get generated because of the social work involved in helping these poor damsels in distress.

     

    If one of the CEOs doesn’t move swiftly to make this happen, it would be a wonderful opportunity lost in brand building. And it will lead to the death of budding talent. Go ahead and adopt the band, people. If for nothing else, do it for the love of music, and for the love of Young India.

     

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    PS: SodaStream is a manufacturer of bubbly soda. For the Super Bowl, they decided to run a commercial that makes rival brands, Coke and Pepsi, look like bumbling fools. Sadly, the TV network, CBS, did not allow this one to be aired, because they found it too ‘explicit’ in its attack. Wow! Methinks this is harmless stuff compared to the ad attacks Coke and Pepsi regularly launch on each other. I suspect CBS chickened out, not wishing to annoy big advertisers. What a pity!

     

    Link: http://www.youtube.com/user/SodaStreamGuru?v=68al-o2XSpE

     

  • No issues on the communication. My problem is with the treatment. I think feminists should take offence at this one, it takes us back to the dark ages, when man was believed to be superior to woman

    Debrief: Britannia NutriChoice: Welcome to medieval times!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I saw a staggeringly regressive commercial the other day, and I could not believe I was sitting in the year 2013 AD. Had to pinch myself to ensure this was reality.

     

    There is a boss who orders his female secretary/assistant not to disturb him as he’s started an important meeting. Much to the boss’s disgust, the disobedient lady does exactly that. And arrives with a box of Britannia NutriChoice Biscuits. Because, as she explains, the boss suffers from diabetes, and he needs to regularly consume these biscuits. Made of oats and ragi, apparently they help in controlling the blood sugar level (hello… dear ASCI… think you guys need to suss this out!).

     

    No issues on the communication, the message is delivered clearly and pointedly. Cool! My problem is with the treatment. The secretary/assistant has been made to act and behave as a subservient woman, her body language alarms me. She’s either looking for an instant double promotion, or the boss is a bloody tyrant. His rude mannerisms suggest the chap is a slave driver. Are office assistants hired to take care of your personal health issues?

     

    I think feminists should take offence at this one, it takes us back to the dark ages, when man was believed to be superior to woman. Just think about it: Would it not make for a charming commercial if you reversed the situation?  What if the boss shows concern for his secy’s health? Would not the brand win some free brownie points? I think it would.

     

    Despite effective communication, I shall be harsh on this ad and give it a big zero. If we can’t move things forward, at least let’s not go backward.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEMZfTfhmbA[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 0. Made me cringe.

     

  • With Inkaar, director Sudhir Mishra has made all the mistakes that go into the making of a poor ad commercial, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Do Inkaar to Inkaar

    Anil Thakraney

     

    I watched Inkaar with a great deal of interest. Because it’s been touted as the nation’s first feature film that’s wholly set in the advertising world. And must say I walked away terribly disappointed. What a waste of a setting that’s pregnant with exciting possibilities!

     

    The problem with the flick is lack of singe mindedness (which, ironically, is the first mantra you learn in the ad biz). Director Sudhir Mishra is all over the place. Is this film about the ad guys? Or is it about sexual harassment? Or is it a good old love story? We are left utterly confused. And I think it’s turned out thus because the director found himself in a self-created trap: Mishra tries to please too many people at one go. And as any ad person will tell you, that’s a recipe for disaster.

     

    So, the director starts off by making a movie on the ad world. But he quickly rationalizes that if he dives too deep into the inner workings of the business, the mass audiences will feel alienated. To give it a broader appeal, he’s brought in sexual harassment to the story. The two tracks, instead of working seamlessly, compete for your attention, and therefore Mishra’s been able to do justice to neither. As a result, Inkaar gives us a totally superficial view of the ad world. What makes matters worse is that Chitrangada Singh hasn’t done her homework; clearly, the actress did not bother to understand how the ad world functions. She does not look like a creative director from any angle, Singh could well be working in the General Post Office. And the climax is a total cop out. Not wanting to upset anyone, Mishra has forced in the typical happy ending, and that leaves you even more puzzled. What the heck was this drama all about?

     

    Well, all I can say is that Inkaar is an opportunity blown. India’s first ad world based film is a washout. In fact, Sudhir Mishra has made all the mistakes that go into the making of a poor ad commercial. Instead of putting himself in the shoes of an ad agency CEO, he’s conceived this rubbish much like an insecure/worried client.

     

    If you are fortunate enough not to have wasted time on this one, I would suggest you do a big Inkaar to any temptation to watch.

     

    PS: Hehe. Famed outdoor artist Banksy doesn’t like advertisers very much. He has strong views on their ‘pernicious’ influence on the society. Here’s an open letter from him, designed in his own unique way. Nope, this won’t amuse my advertising and marketing pals very much. 🙂

     

     

  • Using the social media, is it possible to create huge groups of supporters of arts and free speech in different cities and towns of India?

    Anil Thakraney | Needed: Creative people’s vote bank

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Don’t go by Kamal Hassan’s threat to quit India. It’s the same ‘hool’ which Lata tai gave us over the Peddar Road flyover, but didn’t mean it. These creative types can get a tad emotional, so let’s ignore that bit.

     

    What we cannot ignore is the continuous harassment of creative people in this nation. And they are soft targets because they end up as one individual against a powerful state machinery. Naturally, this becomes a one-sided battle. And this situation is highly depressing; each you time you try to push the envelope, you run the risk of ‘offending’ one fringe group or another. It’s simply not possible to think differently in such a scenario, mediocrity like ‘Dabaang’ will rule the roost.

     

    The main issue is this: Politicians react to what the fringe groups say only because, in the eyes of the netas, they either constitute a vote bank, or they represent one. The number of such protestors can be very few, but in politics, it’s best to err on the side of caution. Therefore the government (state and central) takes an easy way out, and clamps down on the creative work. And artists, movie makers and writers are powerless because they don’t constitute a vote bank, they are dispensable.

     

    So I thought of an idea: Using the social media, is it possible to create huge groups of supporters of arts and free speech in different cities and towns of India? (Of course, no support for dolts who create illegal stuff, a la that cartoon called Aseem Trivedi.) Whereby, each time a creative person comes into strife, massive protest marches and dharnas are held all over India. As these numbers swell, the government will have to take these groups very seriously (as we saw during the aftermath of the Delhi gang rape), and would most likely treat them as a potential vote bank. This effort can thus help nullify the mischief created by fringe groups.

     

    In short, as the proverb goes, to cut iron, you need iron. We have to start thinking of these things from now on. Because Kamal Hassan is neither the first nor the last creative person who’s being made to face the music. Social media is mainly used for time pass. Methinks it’s time to put it to some good, creative use.

     

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    PS: Wonderful traffic safety posters dug out from the UK archives. These ran in the forties, but are more needed in current times. Especially in nations like India, where the junta gives a rat’s ass for road safety. Our government should import these posters and use them here. Because they are visual in nature, even the uneducated sods will get them.

     

    Link: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/01/16/vintage-road-safety-psa/

     

  • Perhaps the viewers will enjoy one show a day based on this theme, but if Headlines Today wants to make this a core strategy, then they could be headed for trouble

    Debrief: Headlines Today: Interactivity won’t bring in freshness

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    ‘Right to be heard.’ That’s the positioning Headlines Today has zeroed onto. I suppose they want to pitch it as an interactive news channel, where the viewers can take part and air their grievances. I don’t regularly watch Headlines Today, mainly because I don’t think the channel offers content that’s significantly different from the rest, so I suppose that’s the problem the owners are trying to fix. And interactivity is what they want to promise as the USP.

     

    The commercial reflects the junta’s ire with uncaring, insensitive, useless politicians, who make false promises during the elections, win the votes and then quickly disappear. One portly neta is seen being put under pressure by all sorts of people (including his missus), till he hides himself inside a room, totally frustrated. While the entertainment value is low, the treatment will establish a connect with the audiences, because it reflects the popular perception of Indian politicians. So that’s fine.

     

    My problem is with the promise: Active viewer participation on the channel. This will prove to be very tricky to handle, since interactive content can get a tad tiresome, as people shoot out their assorted grievances. Perhaps the viewers will enjoy one show a day based on this theme, but if Headlines Today wants to make this a core strategy, then they could be headed for trouble. In short, I don’t think this positioning is correct. Far from providing freshness, it may lead to boredom.

     

    One other thing on the creative front: Our netas are die-hard buggers. Not one, repeat, not a single one has the conscience to get flustered by angry voters. So quite ironically, the segment that would find the ad entertaining is the politicians.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifSqr5y5rQ4[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2. Okay creative, weak product positioning

     

  • One more 'Justice for Jessica Lal' moment has arrived for the Indian media. Now, only intense media scrutiny will put some pressure on the judiciary to follow the spirit of the law, and not its letter, at least in this case

    Anil Thakraney: Let’s go after Mr Juvenile

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Well, it’s pretty clear now that the man/boy who not only participated in the Delhi gang rape but played a key part in the torture will be out on the streets in a few years. Out to commit more heinous crimes. The Juvenile Justice Court has decided to treat his school certificates as gospel truth (the bone ossification test has been rejected), therefore as per the law, there’s no way this chap will get punished under the IPC.

     

    And so, one more ‘Justice for Jessica Lal’ moment has arrived for the Indian media. All journalists and proprietors of media companies will have to get after Mr. Juvenile with jihadic fervour. Now, only intense media scrutiny will put some pressure on the judiciary to follow the spirit of the law, and not its letter, at least in this case. Television debates and news reports have been done. The social media is active. But we need sustained, continuous, 360 degree pressure. Till full justice is done to the unfortunate girl, and till all the six criminals get their just desserts. I am convinced the destiny of this young rapist/killer is now in the hands of the Indian media. People, we have to rise and shine.

     

    And by the way, no, I don’t believe Mr. Juvenile wasn’t old enough to know what he was doing. Here’s what I was up to when I was 17 years plus.

     

    Furiously (but unsuccessfully) pursued a girl in my junior college class.

    Dabbled in stocks with my pocket money to earn some quick (albeit tiny) profits.

    Took a train ride to Nagpur all by myself for a med entrance exam. And successfully negotiated a deal with a low cost hotel.

    Went on a road trip to Jaipur and Ajmer, all by myself.

    Had beer with college pals. Many times.

    Stole dad’s cigarettes. Many times.

    Got involved in a street brawl.

    Got an ageing neighbour admitted to a hospital.

    Lodged a written complaint against a BEST conductor for refusing to give me change.

    Cheated in my chemistry exam.

    Cheated in my physics exam.

    Screamed at a driver in our residential apartment, because he would habitually ‘eve tease’ the maids.

    Argued with a professor at a private tutorial class on his faulty teaching methods.

    Learnt to ride a Bajaj scooter.

    Had heated discussions with dad on the Partition.

     

    And these few memories are still fresh in the head. Yup, I knew exactly what I was doing, as also the ramifications of those actions. And would have felt enormously insulted if someone called me a ‘juvenile’. Hope the Indian law makers are reading this post.

     

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    PS: Speaking of the rape and murder, we simply have to quit this ‘Nirbhaya’, ‘Damini’ and ‘Amanat’ nonsense. Perhaps a PIL needs to be filed in a court for this. We must remember, respect, honour and cherish the girl by her real name. She’s sparked a massive change in this nation, and history needs to record that.

     

  • This is an ad that will work, even if it isn't creatively brilliant. And that's because it's based on a good consumer insight: Today's moms find themselves under as much pressure as their kids

    Debrief: Bournvita Li’l Champs: Going after moms

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Makers of Bournvita, for their kiddies’ milk supplement called Li’l Champs, have roped in actress Kajol. While I am viscerally opposed to the use of celebs in advertising, in this particular case, Kajol works. Because, one, she is the mother of a young child, and two, she acts the part very well.

     

    The positioning is that Bournvita Li’l Champs is the choice of intelligent mothers, and therefore the focus is on the mom rather than the child, so there’s no pester power in this one. This strategy makes sense, as the lady of the house is most likely to be the decision-maker of this product (feminists please excuse!). The ad features Kajol conducting a whole lot of research to be able to deal with the thousands of questions her little lad regularly fires at her. And this, while struggling with the daily household chores. The VO says Bournvita Li’l Champs has the goods to improve your child’s brain power. In passing, there is a hurried mention of a special ingredient called ‘DHA’. (I say this claim needs to be verified by ASCI!)

     

    This is an ad that will work, even if it isn’t creatively brilliant. And that’s because it’s based on a good consumer insight: Today’s moms find themselves under as much pressure as their kids, not just because we live in extremely competitive times, but also because often the lady herself doesn’t know the answers. And, to appease my feminist readers, the ad would have worked equally nicely with Shri Ajay Devgn (his spelling, not mine). In fact, I suspect he would have struggled harder with the academic questions. 🙂

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs5SmxDozOY[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Good insight, moms will connect

     

  • Freedom of expression is not absolute; it does not give you the license to defame people, and deliberately provoke communal/religious tensions. However, I don't think Nandy did any of that, he merely expressed a point of view (and later clarified)

    Anil Thakraney: They should go easy on Ashis Nandy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Sociologist and author Ashis Nandy made a controversial point about the Dalits at the Jaipur Litfest, and he now finds himself in a soup. Although the man later clarified and apologized for his comments, an FIR has already been lodged at the time of writing this piece. And because Nandy has been booked under the SC & ST Act, his arrest would seem like a very possible event.

     

    For those not in the loop, Nandy had said: “Most corrupt people come from Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.” He later said that he was misquoted and misunderstood, and that he is sorry. This would ordinarily be the end of the controversy. But it isn’t, because he’s charged under the abovementioned Act.

     

    I have stated in a previous post that freedom of expression is not absolute; it does not give you the license to defame people, and deliberately provoke communal/religious tensions. The Indian Constitution states this as much. However, I don’t think Nandy did any of that, he merely expressed a point of view (and later clarified). The logical thing would be to ask him to explain his statement in detail, and if it’s found to be defamatory to a community, Nandy can be tried in a court of law. Indeed, that’s what might have happened if he had, let’s assume, said that most corruption comes from Hindus or Sindhis or Kashmiris or UPwallahs or Tamilians, etc. However, under the SC & ST Act, casteist statements invite criminal liability, and therefore an FIR and subsequently the arrest come into play. And as per law, this is a non-bailable offence.

     

    Now, I am not a lawyer, but I would imagine the said Act makes even minor criticism of our SC, ST and OBC brothers and sisters a matter of criminality. This doesn’t seem fair. Perhaps the time has come to re-define this Act a little more clearly and a little more fairly. So that while atrocities can invite criminal charges (as they must), general points of view (even if factually incorrect) don’t land people in jail. Especially so if the person has already apologised for the remarks. Really think time has come to move towards a more equal play for all citizens and groups in this nation. This is 2013 AD.

     

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    PS: An amazing 3-D hoarding mounted in Chicago. This is for a brand of rum (in India it would be playing cards, haha). Wonderful use of 3-D to attract attention, and one wonders why we don’t get to see such creativity in our cities. It’s not really costly to execute, and we have the contractors to do it.

     

     

  • I strongly believe movies and ads have a very limited role to play in influencing social behavior. Think about this: If movies could affect people, we would have been a nation of a billion noble citizens, as films almost always tell us that good wins over evil

    Anil Thakraney: Movies & ads don’t create rapists

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I was watching Justice Verma’s press conference with both, enthusiasm and amusement. Enthusiasm, obviously because we were all keen to know what the committee had in store for desi women. And I was amused because the Justice and his team members reminded me of my strict school principal and teachers. A whole lot of nice theoretical lessons being belted out, with no road map on implementation. This is India for you. A nation of great thinkers and ideators, but a nation of very poor executors. Anyway, let’s see how the recommendations play out on the ground, though I suspect we shall see very little real change.

     

    However, I am glad that in the 360 degree approach taken by the committee to protect Indian women, the use of ‘item songs’ in Bollywood flicks and the ‘objectification’ of women in advertising was left out of the menu. These two issues have been discussed to death on TV chat shows, post the Delhi gang rape, so I was expecting the committee to issue an edict on these too. Happy they ignored the heated telly debates.

     

    This is because I strongly believe movies and ads have a very limited role to play in influencing social behavior. Think about this: If movies could affect people, we would have been a nation of a billion noble citizens, as films almost always tell us that good wins over evil. Clearly, no one believes that after the butter popcorn is done. By the same logic, item songs and semi-nude hotties can’t be contributing to rape. Cinema is an entertainment medium, and that’s how it’s viewed by the masses. Today’s blockbuster is tomorrow’s cheap, street DVD.

     

    Ditto for ads. TV commercials and press ads have been featuring beautiful women for years and years. And these gals attract attention to the product, and that’s all they do, nothing more, nothing less. Nobody wants to buy from ugly people. Again, if ads were contributing to rapes, the all pervasive nature of this medium would have turned millions of us men into rapists and molesters. And that’s not happened.

     

    The problem of crimes against women and children finds its roots in two factors: The way sons are brought up in India. And a weak law enforcement machinery. These are the things that need to be sorted out. And am happy the Verma committee mainly focused on them. Meanwhile, please let’s continue with the beauties in cinema and ads. Without them, the nation will become a very boring place.

     

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    PS: The memorable Lance Armstrong/Nike ad. And to think it was an anti-doping commercial! Must say the words have turned out to be quite prophetic. There should be a case study done on how the champ’s confession damages Nike, the brand, because of their powerful association.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIl5RxhLZ5U[/youtube]

     

  • The promise addresses the consumers' biggest worry, that of poor response on claims filed, so the strategy is sound. However, there's a problem: The six-hour factor gets lost in all this writing business

    Debrief: L&T Health Insurance: There’s an elephant in the room!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Must say ‘Likh ke doge kya?’ is an interesting idea L&T Health Insurance has come up with. It’s based on a good consumer insight; we all like to talk big and loose, but when asked to put that on paper, we flee. Based on this theme, L&T Health Insurance promises to respond to your claims within six hours, or they are happy to be penalised.

     

    There are a few commercials on air, the one I saw features three situations. Mom tells kid that if he eats spinach, he’ll come first in class. The bratty kid wants that promise in writing. A couple of uncles snigger at a young punk, saying he’ll never become an engineer. The dude demands that comment be put on paper. A lady wants her husband to take her on an exotic holiday, promising she’d never ask for anything again. Of course, the man wants that commitment in writing. Arrives the L&T Health Insurance man with the ‘six-hour response’ promise.

     

    It’s a decent effort, and the ads are fun to watch. The promise addresses the consumers’ biggest worry, that of poor response on claims filed, so the strategy is sound. However, there’s a problem: The six-hour factor gets lost in all this writing business. In fact, I would have developed the entire campaign based on the six-hour deal, and that would have made the communication focused and stronger. While ‘Likh ke doge kya?’ brings in its own uniqueness, they have ignored the elephant sitting in the room: SIX HOURS. Tch, tch, tch.

     

    Also, must say the L&T Health Insurance chaps have very, very cunningly covered their backsides. The claim is they shall RESPOND within six hours, and not settle your claim. And that response could well be: ‘Aap kataar mein hain’! 🙂

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yPwFUxPzng[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5 Good consumer insight but key promise overlooked.Â